Beware The Quiet Ones
by Pixel and Stephanie Forever
Summary: Ensign Jae graduates from Starfleet Academy and joins the Federation Flagship, USS Enterprise under Captain Picard. Follow her story from an already experienced combat veteran from her academy days to that of being one of Picard's best officers. The newly qualified officer learns not only the importance of friends and duty, but also when to break the rules instilled in her. Rated T
1. A New Ship And New Starts

**A New Ship And New Starts**

" _Bridge to Ensign Jae_ "

"Jae here"

" _We are approaching the Enterprise. Report to the transporter room_ "

"Acknowledged... Jae out" and the tall, beautiful and striking officer took one last look around her temporary quarters before picking up her bags and pulling her larger case behind her outside into the corridor. Jae had recently graduated from Starfleet Academy with high honours over all of her courses but was proud of one simple fact - her Cadet Cruise. Whilst travelling in the Vulcan system, the _Eagle_ had been attacked by pirates and had killed or injured the senior officers on the Bridge. Whilst others had been tending to themselves and others, Jae had assumed command, organized damage control parties, had medical teams dispatched to the worst areas before returning fire on the pirate vessels. Once they had been destroyed or driven off, she had tried to bring her crippled ship back to Vulcan while sending out distress calls. One of the ships that had responded was the _Enterprise_ under Captain Picard who had to resort to a direct order to make her leave _Eagle_ 's bridge and seek medical treatment herself. Afterwards, at the investigation, Picard had praised her quick thinking and use of tactics that managed to save most of the crew and the ship. He'd said to her that when she graduated, he would ask for her to be assigned to the _Enterprise_.

"Ensign, the _Enterprise_ is ready to take you aboard" Jae's thoughts were shaken by the crewman on duty in the transporter room.

"Thank you, crewman" Jae pulled her cases onto the pad before standing still. "Energise" and the transporter room faded and was replaced with the one on the Enterprise. A lone human male stood behind the console who loomed back at the young woman. "Permission to come aboard, Sir?"

"Granted, Ensign. If you want to leave your things there, I will get somebody to bring them to your quarters. The captain wants to see you on the bridge"

"Aye, Sir" Jae replied which brought a chuckle to the man before she left the room and searched for a turbolift. It took her three attempts before she was on her way.

# # # # #

"Come" a voice said and Jae opened the door and walked into the ready room to see Captain Picard sat sipping tea from an ornate china cup. She walked to a foot and a half of the desk and came to attention and saluted her new Captain.

"Ensign Tracee Jae, Sir, reporting for duty"

"At ease, Ensign" Picard gestured to one of the chairs which was she took. "Ensign, despite what the Academy might teach you, I do not expect or require you to salute a superior officer when you report to them. If you did, I expect that we would all need our arms replaced. Now, on to business... I see that you graduated with high honours in security, sensory suite usage and in engineering"

"Yes, Sir. My Uncle back home used to restore old equipment and I used to love watching him work. When it came to deciding what I wanted to do at the academy, I went with what I knew"

"Which was a good choice given what happened aboard the Eagle" Picard read from the desktop computer which displayed her records. "I did note that you got into a fight two months ago"

"Is this on the record, Captain?"

"No, Ensign, its not"

"Sir, the other cadet made a comment about Captain Chelsea that I took offence at - I promise I will not do that again, Captain"

"It hurt you that much to be hauled up in front of the Commandant herself?" Picard glanced at the PADD before looking back at the newly arrived officer.

"Captain Chelsea died in my arms, Sir, and the other cadet said she died like a coward. I know I should have just ignored it, but the pain was still raw in my mind and I had a sort of mental flashback. The campus psychology people helped me to address the lingering stuff…" Jae blushed red and looked away briefly in guilt.

"Mmm…" Picard was silent for such a long time that Jae thought about reminding him she was still there. "Very well, Ensign – welcome aboard the Enterprise. Have you reported to Sickbay?"

"No, Sir. The transporter operator said I had orders to report to you directly"

"It seems like Chief O'Brien is playing tricks on the new recruits" Picard chuckled. "Report to Sickbay to check in with the Chief Medical Officer and then with the Quartermaster for your room allocation. They should also have a schedule set up for you to meet with your divisional officers. Dismissed"

"Aye, Captain" Jae stood to attention for a moment, then turned and left the Captain's ready room. Once the doors had closed behind her, she took a deep breath, let it out slowly and then entered the turbolift to her left.

' _Please state destination_ ' it spoke softly.

"Sickbay" and the there was a gentle humming as the car set off for the headed destination.

#

Half an hour later, after the standard examination and after checking in with the Quartermaster for her assigned quarters, Jae walked along a corridor of Deck 17's crew quarters section trying to find her assigned cabin. As she checked off each number from the PADD she carried along with her bags and case which had ended up at the Quartermaster's office, she felt a tingle of excitement at the sort of person she might be sharing with. Because of her status as a low ranking officer, she would be given a cabin to share with another Ensign – at least it would not be as bad as the dorm rooms on cadet training ships such as _Eagle_ or _Atlantis_.

"Cabin 5041" she gave a little mental cheer as she pressed the door chime to be let in. A few seconds later, the door opened and revealed a blonde haired human woman in command division red.

"You must be the new roomie" she said. "Ensign Tess Allenby" she shook Jae's hand.

"What gave it away?" Jae asked as she walked into her quarters on the _Enterprise_ for the first time.

"The newness of the uniform… And the bags" and Jae knew right away that she was going to get on well with Allenby. "There are three of us to this cabin, but we have separate rooms and just share the middle section. Pam is on duty, but she'll be off in another twenty minutes then we can get to know you better"

"Sounds good" Jae agreed. She put her bags and case in the room Allenby indicated was unoccupied before sitting on a chair in the sitting room space. "I was expecting to share with just one person" Jae said, "But three is just as good".

"I think this was built as a family room, but then they realised it was inside crew quarters land… Much easier to stick up a few more bulkheads and do a little re-wire" Allenby said. "So, anyway, what brings you to the flagship?"

"I met the Captain while I was on the academy training ship. We'd been attacked by pirates, the officers on the Bridge were killed, dying or badly injured so I assumed command and took one out and drove the others away. I wouldn't leave the Bridge until Captain Picard gave me a direct order to go to the Sickbay. At the debriefing after we got to Vulcan, he said he was impressed a mere cadet could do what I had done and wanted me on his ship when I graduated"

"So you were on _Eagle_ " Allenby nodded thoughtfully. "That means I am in your debt"

"Huh?"

"My brother was an engineer on it and was killed in the attack. If it was not for you, we'd have had no body to bury"

"I… erm… Well, I didn't…" Jae started stuttering. "What can you tell me about my divisional officers?" she asked. "Or about the flagship in general"

"Worf is a bit of a hard arsed guy, but that is just his way and it gets results. Part of the reason is that he is a Klingon, has a warrior attitude and likes to recommend arming the phasers when meeting a ship. Still, he's a good guy and got us out of a lot of trouble when in combat. My only problem is that he is only a Lieutenant which is odd when you think he is head of security and the tactical officer. As for Commander La Forge" Allenby was cut off by the door opening and admitting another blonde haired woman.

"Ah, the fresh blood has arrived" she laughed as the doors closed behind her.

"Tracee, this reprobate is Pamela McKnight – another helmsman like myself" Allenby smiled.

"Tracee Jae" Jae introduced herself. The three of them talked and Jae got to know them as much they did the same about her. The nervous young woman decided that, out of the two, Allenby was the slightly quieter as McKnight appeared to be running on some kind of sugar rush – though she was assured she could be perfectly behaved when on duty. Jae instantly understood what that meant as she'd been on something like it after the incident aboard the _Eagle_. Deciding on an early night before meeting with the Chief Engineer in the early part of the morning shift, she bid her new crewmates a very goodnight and went to her cabin when she dug out her favourite pair of fluffy purple pyjamas got into bed and was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

 **A/N:**

 **Well, as most of you will know, I am horrible at writing first chapters, but I think that will do for now.**

 **This will be the first story involving the character of Ensign/Lt Jae played by the magnificent, talented and all round good egg, Tracee Cocco. As her Star Trek character did not appear to have a first name mentioned on screen or in script, I have given her the name of her actress as I have done for Ensign McKnight.**

 **The plot of this story will be to tell how she starts her life on the Enterprise, becomes a much liked and respected member of the crew and, in order to do that, I will be moving a few Season 4 episodes to series 3, place Jae on the Bridge during the events of BoBW and kick Wesley "I am a boy genius and want everybody to know it" Crusher off to Starfleet Academy earlier. To be honest, it was either that or get him involved in a terrible accident involving the transporter, Data's pet cat Spot, a Bat'leth and a photon torpedo…**

 **Over the next few chapters, we'll see Jae settle into her life on the Federation Flagship and tell her friends the full story of what happened aboard the** _ **Eagle**_ **on her cadet cruise. For those wondering, the ship is canonical and was listed on screen as a Connie. I take the view, as do others, that Starfleet keeps its older ships around to provide a sort of practice run for life on a Starship for cadets - the officers being those on light duties and those waiting out their time to retire on full pensions and benefits.**

 **I just hope that not only you, but Miss Cocco likes the story as well**

 **Live Long And Prosper**

 **Pixel**


	2. Shifts, Suggestions And Attacks

**Shifts, Suggestions And Attacks** **...**

' _The time is now oh seven thirty. This is your scheduled wake up time_ ' the computer repeated it several times before Jae was awake enough to cancel it out. Stretching out her arms and legs, she yawned and got out of bed before padding over to the sonic shower and letting it clean her skin and massage it at the same time. After she had dressed in her Operations gold uniform, she went out to the communal living room where she saw McKnight working on a PADD.

"Morning... Tess is on duty up on the Bridge if you were looking for her" she said.

"I just got up"

"I would never have guessed" and Jae shot her a dirty look before crossing over to the replicator.

"French toast, coffee, orange juice and a plate of toast" she ordered.

 _'Please state desired coffee temperature_ '

"Um, hot?" and the replicator hummed as it created Jae's breakfast.

"Forgot to to mention that these replicators are very fussy about the way you order food and drink" McKnight said. "I suppose that is what you get for being on the most advanced ship in the fleet. Of course, I wouldn't change it for a thing... I am surprised that I got to be on this ship at all"

"Why?" Jae asked as she attacked her breakfast.

"I graduated at the middle of my group, but I was told that I was to be assigned to the _Enterprise_ at the request of Picard himself. From what he said to me, my results on the _Kobayashi Maru_ test impressed him greatly. I kind of get the idea that the ship is crewed not by the best, but more along the lines of the ones who obey orders at all times but know when to break them and also to think outside the box. Did you take it?"

"I did, actually... I managed to get a draw"

"How the hell did you manage that?"

"I knew my warp core would work even in a overload, so I got the Cardassian ships to follow me, set the core to overload, dumped it and detonated the thing once I was clear. Went back for the freighter's crew and passengers before limping out of Cardassian space on impulse power only" Jae returned to her breakfast.

"Impressive - I only managed a glorious defeat. What I did was fire a token salvo of fire before surrendering to the Cardassians and offering myself as a prisoner if they allowed the crew to rescue the freighter"

"Some glorious defeat" Jae snorted. "I only did what I did because I do what needs to be done - at any cost"

"That's why you got here..." Pam told her. "Picard doesn't just want officers that follow the rules and be occasionally creative, he wants officers that do that and think outside the box and be willing to break the rules"

"Mmm..." Jae mulled this over in her mind. After finishing her breakfast, she picked up a few PADDs, checked her uniform and then headed off to Main Engineering. Privately, Jae preferred the older term of 'Engine Room'.

#

The Chief Engineer was, she decided, a little borderline insane. The moment she had reported to him, the man had been enthusiastic in his tour of the Engineering section from top to tail and showing her a few things that were not on the general specifications for a Galaxy class ship such as a bypass for the primary impulse reactors. If any of her instructors at the Academy had had it suggested, she was certain they would have exploding brains from the shock.

"Did you have any particular specialty in Engineering, Ensign?" Commander LaForge asked Jae. "Ensign?" he repeated when she didn't reply.

"Sorry, Sir... I was just thinking about how I managed to get on the flagship right out of the academy. I wouldn't say I had something I liked more than anything else, but I did enjoy scanning stuff and seeing why it wasn't working like it should do"

"I know that feeling well, Ensign" LaForge smiled in a way that reached his covered eyes. What had scored her bonus points in his view was that she had not had any shock when seeing his VISOR as most new recruits did when meeting him for the first time. Then he thought she had most likely seen more after the attack on _Eagle_. "I'll assign you to one of my diagnostic and repair teams for now and then we'll see how you go from there. I have to admit that its nice to see a smart person somebody who is personable and not somebody like Wesley Crusher"

"I've heard about him from Tess and Pam - neither of them seemed to like him. Would it be wrong to ask why?"

"He is the only son of the CMO and his dad was killed whilst on another ship commanded by Captain Picard. He didn't know that he was coming aboard and he really pissed him off - that kid is smart, sure, but he seriously needs to learn people skills"

"Worked the Helm, didn't he?"

"And just about everybody up the bloody wall... Now, about your skills"

"I did a bit of everything Sir, but I have honours in the sensory equipment and weapons" Jae glanced at the deck briefly.

"Alright, Ensign, I've got some work to do on the starboard midships sensor array - want to help?"

"Do I have a choice?" and LaForge blinked several times before bursting into laughter.

"Ensign, I think you are going to do just fine here - let's get going" and they collected tools and some spare parts before leaving Engineering.

#

The work ended up lasting the entire duty shift and Jae returned all of the equipment to the stores before heading for a turbolift. So caught up in her thoughts was she that the new officer ran straight into another person.

"Are you injured, Ensign...?" the voice stopped.

"Jae - Ensign Tracee Jae, Commander"

"Greetings, Ensign Jae" the imposing figure of Lieutenant Commander Data stood over Jae as she rubbed her head.

"Hello, Sir. I seem to be alright. I think the only thing I damaged was my pride".

"I would suggest going to Sickbay, but my human friends tell me there is no cure for an injured pride" Data said.

"Klingons believe you restore it by running into a great battle" Jae replied.

"If you subscribe to that theory, Ensign, I can certainly speak to the Captain for you"

"Er, no thank you, Sir" Jae stammered. "Do you know where I can get a drink around here?"

"The replicators can be programed to provide you with a wide range of beverages" Data replied.

"I meant an alcoholic drink, Sir. I swore an oath to an old friend that I would have a real beer when I did my first ever duty shift"

"That is a strange oath, Ensign... Ten-Forward is the answer you seek. If I may" he added, "What was the basis of the oath?"

"My best friend died in my arms on the _Eagle_ , Sir, and before they died I promised I would drink a real beer after my first duty shift in their honour"

"Interesting" Data said. "I must be about my duties, good day Ensign" and Data walked off.

"Interesting man" Jae thought. She watched him as he went around the corner before she went to the nearest turbolift.

#

Ten-Forward was, Jae thought, better than what she had expected. Crewmembers mingled between ranks and with civilians and it seemed to be run by a woman wearing a hat large enough to take a small shuttlecraft.

"New face I see" the woman in the massive hat spoke softly to her. Jae got the sudden impression this was a woman she could trust every secret she had with.

"Graduated from the Academy two months ago" Jae replied. "I had a month of leave and then hitchhiked on transports and starships just to get here. I'm Ensign Tracee Jae - I'm assigned to Engineering and Security"

"I'm Guinan... I tend bar and I listen"

"Pleased to meet you, Ma'am. Could I have a real alcoholic beer if you have one?"

"Coming right up" Guinan told her. "And you don't have to call me Ma'am... We don't tend to use ranks around here and I am not really part of the crew - well, Starfleet crew anyway"

"I thought the ship was manned by Starfleet crewmembers – except those civilian specialists and some families"

"When the Captain found there was going to be a crew lounge, he got an exception for me to come aboard and run it"

"You know Captain Picard?" Jae asked in wonderment.

"Oh yes" Guinan smiled to herself fondly, "But that is a story for another time. For now, though, tell me all about yourself" and Jae found herself telling Guinan everything about the attack on the _Eagle_ , how she managed to save the crippled ship and bring it back under its own power and helm.

"It took a direct order and a sedative to get me to leave the Bridge" Jae finished her tale.

"That's like Picard" Guinan said. "When he lost the _Stargazer_ , he had to be prised from his command chair because he didn't want to leave his ship unmanned when there was a chance they could be rescued. From what he told me, he was the last to get off before she drifted off"

"I saw her in the fleet museum" Jae said. "I was part of the repair and refit crew in exchange for extra credit at the Academy. I thought _Eagle_ was bad, but how the hell _Stargazer_ was operational after all the fire damage and half destroyed decks, I will never know"

"It is something I wonder myself, Ensign" Picard's voice made Jae jump to her feet, but the Captain waved her back to her seat. "At ease… I'm off duty and came here for a quiet drink, but if I am disturbing you…?"

"No, Sir. I was talking to Guinan. I have only known her since I walked in here, but its like I have known her all my life"

"I know what you mean" Picard smiled in a way that told Jae there was a good story behind the comment. "A pint of the usual, please, Guinan"

"Already here, Captain" the other woman placed a foamed topped beer on a coaster in front of Picard.

"So, Ensign, how did you find your first duty shift?"

"It was… _interesting_ , Sir. I felt intimidated by some of the other crew members, but I guess that's just because I'm the new person on the block"

"I remember my first ever shift on a ship called the _Cassandra_. It was a small research vessel that seemed to be always in demand for one thing or another… The first time I took the Conn, the entire navigational system went down – I was frightened that I had done something wrong" Picard swigged his beer. "Turned out there was an error in the master navigation controls. From what I was told at the investigation afterwards, if I had waited for orders instead of doing what I did and reversing the engines to come to a stop, we'd have flown into the local sun – following my instincts and going against orders saved the ship. Oddly, after that, I was never scared again"

"I'm scared of blowing up the ship" Jae confessed.

"One newly qualified Ensign blowing up the flagship?" Picard chuckled. "I don't think that is going to happen"

"Two words, Captain" Guinan said, "Wesley Crusher" and Picard frowned at her before finishing his drink.

"If there is one piece of advice, Ensign, that I can give you, it is this" Picard said as he stood, "Stand to your duty, trust your instincts, trust your shipmates and, above all, trust yourself to do the right thing" he gave a curt nod and left Ten-Forward.

"Is he always like that?" Jae asked.

"He has the heart of an explorer and the soul of a poet" the other woman replied. "Now, would you like another…?"

#

Months passed and Jae quickly became a respected member of the crew with citations in her record for intelligence and quick thinking. One day, she was working on the aft stations monitoring sensor readings and relaying it down to the science labs as they did examinations of radioactivity put out by debris of a long ago destroyed planet. Although it was a science mission, she'd been assigned to monitor the whole thing from the bridge and make adjustments in the sensor arrays as much as possible. The primary work load for the sensors was more to do with mapping the area than anything else. Jae was just about to transfer to another grid when something caught her attention and she cancelled the automatic transfer and focused on a small section of asteroid debris. It seemed to be a series of beeps and pulses in the style of an old fashioned distress call.

"Ship in distress… Distress call bearing 211 mark 61!" Jae called out loudly as per Picard's standing orders. "Picking up a distress call bearing 211 mark 61. Vessel appears to be without power and is stationary" Picard and Commander Riker walked around the horseshoe console and over to her position to look at her readings.

"Report, Ensign Jae" Riker said curtly.

"Sir, I was monitoring the efforts of the science teams mapping this area of space, transferring power and sensors when needed. I was doing a little bit of a review of the incoming data out of interest when I noticed a strange signal"

"Why didn't you alert us then?"

"Due to the radiation coming from the planetary debris and the pulsar in the next sector, I was uncertain and wanted to be sure before calling out" Jae replied. "You may remember, Commander, that that is the Captain's standing orders"

"You have done well, Ensign" Picard said kindly. "Transfer your data to the Helm and Ops but continue to monitor the situation until your relief gets here"

"Aye" and, with a pleased smile on her face, Jae turned back to her station and continued to work until her shift relief arrived. She was just about to walk inside the aft port turbolift when Riker called to her.

"Ensign, make a full report about what you discovered… It may not be much, but it will certainly help us"

"Aye, Commander" and she stepped inside.

#

"… so I shouted it out" Jae told her two cabin mates and best friends.

"It can't be too big of an emergency as there hasn't been an announcement yet" Tess told her. "Could you tell who sent it?"

"No" Jae shook her head as she sipped her drink. "I ran it through the translator, but nothing seemed to be match what was in the database" and was about to say more when the lights flickered off and then back on again several times before an alarm sounded.

 _RED ALERT – ALL HANDS MAN YOUR BATTLESTATIONS_!

"In the middle of a debris field?" Pamela groaned as she zipped up her uniform jacket and lead the way out into the corridor. The trio were just about to enter a turbolift when a forcefield snapped into place and the computer gave a warning of radiation in their section and that they should evacuate.

"How can we do that when you just put up a forcefield?" Jae asked.

"Let's get to a Jefferies Tube" McKnight said as she started to jog down the corridor.

"Does this place even _have_ anything that could cause radiation?" Allenby looked at other crewmembers who seemed to have trouble getting off their deck. "We're going to try a crawlspace to go up one level" she said helpfully and Jae suddenly found herself in the lead of seven crewmen, four officers and a sort of ginger cat carrying a knitted mouse in its mouth.

"This is going to take forever" she declared.

"I know" Allenby said. "For a start, that cat can't climb the ladder"

#

"You took your time, Ensign" LaForge spoke as Jae hurried into Engineering.

"Sorry, Sir – the computer detected a radiation surge on my deck and blocked off the turbolifts. We did try raising other decks, but all we could get was the Bridge"

"Fair enough" the engineer was not about to argue the point when he had other things to worry about. "I want you to join the team running tests on the warp and impulse drives. We tried to get away from this, but none of the engines seemed to provide any propulsion – just increased the radiation We've also discovered whatever is holding us here is draining all of our power"

"How long do we have?" Jae asked as she grabbed a nearby toolkit.

"Three hours with the engines idling, maybe another half an hour with battery systems and then the radiation will get fatal in 23 minutes. Start with the team looking over the impulse manifolds"

"Aye, Si–" Jae broke off. Something was coming to her mind from a half remembered combination of science lessons and piloting.

"Ensign?"

"You said that nothing worked when the engines were pushed to maximum, right?"

"Yeah"

"So why not do the opposite? Imagine a ball at the top of a hill – all you have to do is push it gently and it rolls down and picks up speed as it goes" and Jae watched as LaForge blinked several times and thought it over.

"DeSalle, you are in charge until I get back – Ensign, with me" and the Chief Engineer dragged a startled Jae behind him.

# # # # #

"… but it is all we have to work with, Captain. I could run holodeck simulations for an hour or two but even then we might not do it fully"

"How did you come up with this, Ensign?" Picard asked. Most of the senior officers were on the Bridge – darkened to save power. Through the darkness, she could see Tess Allenby sitting at Helm.

"When Commander LaForge said that red lining the engines didn't work, I remember a little trick we used at the Academy – use the minimum you can do"

"That would seem to be a contradiction" Data spoke from the back of the group.

"But a sensible idea" Worf offered his opinion.

"Indeed" Picard agreed. "Worf, Is there any indication of a weakness in a specific part of the field?"

"Checking" the Klingon turned to his console and played with the controls. "Nothing substantial, Captain"

"So there is something?"

"Well, there is a point-one percent dip in the strength of the radiation field at 21 mark 8 by 42 mark 0"

"Then that is where we will go" Picard decided. "Geordi, I want you to fire all of the power through the impulse engines for a brief second. Ensign Jae, you will assist him"

"Aye, Captain"

"Sir" Jae nodded. Inside her mind, the woman was hoping her plan would work. After all that she had been through, she'd rather not be the one to kill them all with increased radiation. Ideally, she would not die at all, but she knew such risks came with being a member of Starfleet.

"Sir, if you would like me to do it, I could assume piloting controls" Data spoke as he returned to his station. "As you know, I can make adjustments faster than any human"

"That will not be necessary, Mister Data"

"With all due respect" Allenby spoke quietly, "I am this ship's Helmsman and only I control its destiny right now"

"Prepare to fire the engines in one burst" Picard ordered. "Ensign Allenby, set a course of 21 mark 8 and prepare to engage manoeuvring thrusters"

"Aye, Sir, course plotted and laid in" Allenby said.

"We're ready up here, Captain. As soon as we disengage the impulse drive, we'll transfer its power output to the shields" LaForge said.

WARNING – RADIATION EXPOSURE… FATAL LEVELS IN SEVEN MINUTES

"Computer, mute voice warnings" Riker ordered.

"Engage" and Tess tapped her controls and started the _Enterprise_ moving into the asteroid field.

"Impulse engines are shut down, Captain. Speed is one hundred and fifty mph" she reported.

"No increase in radiation levels or energy drain" Data said.

"Shields draining, but at the same rate" Worf said.

"Transferring impulse reactor power to the shields" LaForge said.

"We've lost the port power conduits – attempting to get to secondary systems" Jae reported as a cautionary alarm sounded at her station. "Bypass is ineffective"

"Ensign Allenby, can you continue to move?" Picard turned to look at the woman seated at Helm as she moved them away from bits and pieces.

"Permission to speak freely?"

"Go ahead"

"Hold on to your ass!" and she fired the thrusters harder and aimed at the biggest piece of former planet she could see. Just as they were about to hit, she flipped the stern of the _Enterprise_ up, followed by the saucer in a complete loop over the top and they were out of the field. "We hope you enjoyed _Enterprise Airlines_ and we hope you had a pleasant flight. Please keep seated until the starship comes to a complete halt"

"Geordi, I want you to run a complete check of our systems" Picard rose from his chair and stared at the debris field. "Data, is there any way we could get the Promellian vessel out?"

"No, Sir" Data spoke softly. "The radiation and power drain is causing too much of an affect – sending in another starship would be hazardous"

"That's what I thought" said Picard. "Mr Worf, arm the forward torpedo bays and set for a high yield impact"

"Aye" a few beeps followed. "Torpedoes are armed and ready for launch, Sir"

"Understood… Attention on deck!" and the crew on the Bridge snapped to attention – barring Allenby who was bringing the ship around and into position. Without a word, Worf fired a full spread of torpedoes that destroyed the Promellian ship and the surrounding planetary asteroid debris.

"Ensign, set course for Starbase 12" Riker ordered after checking a chart.

"Course plotted"

"Warp 3, engage" Picard made his customary shooting action.

"Sorry, Captain, but the best I can manage is Warp 1 until the drive has been cleared" Allenby replied.

"Make best possible speed then" Picard ordered. "And… And get the shift that should have been here to take over"

# # # # #

It took them four days before they reached the Starbase where the Captain gave the entire crew some short leave whilst repairs and a small refit was carried out. Jae, Tess and Pamela had booked time in the local spa followed by a weekend looking around the planet and buying a few trinkets for their shared quarters.

"I wonder where we'll be working next" said Jae.

"Space battles" said Tess as she sipped the cocktail on her beach chair.

"Oh, I'd much rather we do some nice and quiet cargo runs" Pamela replied from Jae's other side.

"I just want to get back into space" Jae told them.

"You've been on the flagship of the federation for nearly a year now… Haven't you come off the high?" Tess giggled.

"Nope" Jae replied. "After we get back out there, I'm going to do a few shifts at the Ops console every now and again"

"Well you are assigned to the Operations division" Pamela said as she picked up a book and started to read it. Unlike most people, McKnight was of the opinion that you could not relax and read a book on a beach if it was on a PADD – it had to be a paper copy.

"Imagine if things went really wrong and there was a disaster that meant we had to control the ship"

"God would never allow that to happen" Tess said. Although not as devout as some, she had permission from Picard to wear a small Catholic cross under her uniform jacket as a symbol of her faith. In her formal application, she'd noted that Picard had allowed such things to be worn on duty such as Worf's Klingon sash, Vulcan earrings and Councillor Troi's dresses.

"Enterprise _to shore leave parties. There has been a general order given for the evacuation of Starbase 12. By order of Captain Picard, all leave has been cancelled and crewmembers are ordered to return to the ship_ " the call came over their comm badges.

"Are they serious?" Jae groaned as she reached down to her towel where the badge lay. "This is Ensign Jae – confirm orders, _Enterprise_ "

" _Orders confirmed_ "

"Acknowledged, out" she tapped the badge to close the link. "Looks like we're getting out of here"

"I wonder what is going on" McKnight said as she rose from her chair and began to gather her things.

"I don't know, but it seems to me as if the universe really hates us" Allenby replied. "I wonder where we will go because we're due some mandatory rest leave"

" _Picard to Ensign Allenby_ "

"Go ahead"

" _Ensign, are you able to be beamed aboard at this time?_ " Picard's voice came over her own badge.

"I'm not in uniform, Captain, but I can beam aboard in ten seconds" Tess quickly pulled on a pair of loose trousers over her swimsuit. "Ensigns Jae and McKnight are with me"

" _Prepare to beam aboard. Picard, out_ " and, ten seconds later, the trio were beamed directly to the Bridge. "Tess, take the Helm, Set a course of 123 mark 32 and engage at Warp 7" and Allenby blinked for a second at the use of her first name, nodded and sat at the helm and carried out the orders.

"Ensign Jae. Ensign McKnight. Take the aft stations and scan the vessel directly in front of us. I want to know what its status is, how many are aboard and most likely heading" Picard gave them both instructions as Allenby took the _Enterprise_ into warp. "Given the circumstances, I'll overlook the fact you are all out of uniform" he gestured at the three of them but especially McKnight who was still in her old style bikini. "If you'd like, you can put whatever else you have in your bag on in my ready room"

"Thank you, Sir" and McKnight hurried away.

"Sir, I have a ship bearing 120 mark 0" Jae reported, reaching into her bag with one hand and pulling out a civilian jacket to put around her. "I read it as a small vessel – _Apollo_ class"

"Can you tell how many people are aboard?"

"No sir. They appear to be using some kind of magnetic shield"

"Very well" Picard said. "Ensign, you have had training on the tactical console from Lieutenant Commander Worf?"

"A little bit, Sir, but I was going to be fully taught after the refit and shore leave" Jae said as she did up the civilian jacket.

"Well we left in somewhat of a hurry" Picard replied, not turning to look at her. "We left most of the crew behind when we went chasing after whoever stole that ship. Ensign, tie in the sensors to the tactical console and work there"

"Where do you want me, Sir?" McKnight asked as she stepped out of Picard's ready room in a light purple swim cover.

"Assume the Ops station. I want you and Ensign Jae to work on finding a way to get around their shielding so we can find out what their numbers are"

"Aye, Sir"

"Picard to Security"

" _Security – Lieutenant Foster_ "

"Form a boarding party and report to the transporter rooms"

" _Aye_ "

"We're about to enter weapons range, Sir" Allenby reported.

"Slow us enough to put us slightly above them and astern"

"Aye"

"Ensign Jae, send a message on an open channel – order them to heave to and prepare to be boarded"

"I can't get through, Captain. The magnetic field around them is blocking communications"

"Then we'll do it the old fashioned way"

"Aye" and Jae powered the phasers, acquired a target and fired – several feet over their bow.

"Sir, they are attempting to evade" Tess spoke up.

"Stay with them, Ensign"

"Aye"

"Arm torpedoes and lock onto their warp drive"

"Getting target" Jae replied.

"Sir, I'm getting a message" McKnight reported.

"Open a channel" Picard ordered.

"Tetley _to_ Enterprise"

"This is Captain Picard of the _Enterprise_. You are ordered to drop all shields and come to a complete halt"

" _That is not really part of the exercise, Captain_ "

"What exercise? To who am I speaking?"

" _Commander Rabb, Sir. We were given orders by Admiral Tolok to make it look like we had stolen something and were really terrorists. Radio silence was ordered, but we knew something was up when you locked torpedoes on us_ "

"Commander Rabb, we were never given orders to take part in any exercise. We were sent after you because we'd been informed you had placed a bomb on the Starbase and hijacked your vessel in order to get away"

" _Captain, I swear on my honour as a Starfleet officer that I have done no such thing. Whatever is happening, it was not of my making_ "

"Sir!" McKnight shouted out.

"Yes, Ensign?" Picard looked over to her.

"I am reading a massive disturbance in the region around Starbase 12. Multiple distress calls, but nothing coming from the Starbase itself"

"Rabb, follow us back at your top speed. Ensign Allenby, set course back to the Starbase"

"Course plotted"

"Maximum warp speed – engage" Picard made the shooting motion he was well known for. "Ensign Jae, sound General Quarters. Bridge to Sickbay"

" _Sickbay_ "

"Be ready to take on injured persons of unknown degrees"

" _Aye_ "

"Ensign McKnight, see if you can raise Commander Riker. Once you have done that, get me Starfleet Command"

"Ay-" McKnight broke off as something started beeping on the console before her. "Incoming message on the emergency frequency – Code 47"

"Confirm that"

"Confirmed"

"I'll take it in my Ready Room. Ensign Allenby, maintain course and speed until we arrive and then start transferring the injured aboard. You have the Bridge" and Picard hurried into his room. He came back out a few minutes later looking confused, concerned and somewhat frightened. "Ensign, plot a course to Dytallix B – maximum velocity possible. Picard to Sickbay"

" _Sickbay_ "

"Report to the transport rooms to beam down with your supplies. We have been called away to an urgent matter to be labelled top secret. Transport Chief, be ready to beam medical teams and supplies down and the remaining crew back up – Bridge out"

"Coming up to Starbase 12 in three minutes" Allenby said.

"Slow to impulse" Picard ordered as he took his seat and gazed deeply at the viewscreen. "And pray God it's not too late"


	3. Involved With Conspiracies

**Involved With Conspiracies**

"I've never seen the Captain that worried before – not even when we faced those Borg guys last year" Tess said as they stood in the turbolift to go to their quarters to change into their uniforms and report back to the Bridge for duty.

"Whatever was in that message he got, it must have been serious for him to dump the medical teams before we shot off with just the duty shift at their stations" Jae nodded as she spoke. "Maybe the attack on Starbase 12 was the start of a terrorist attack" she added.

"Who knows" Pamela told the other two, "But I've never seen Captain Picard that fearful" and the turbolift car slowed to a halt and the doors opened – allowing the trio to job to their quarters. Getting into her uniform within a minute, Jae ordered a tea from the replicator to settle her nerves before Pam and Tess emerged from their rooms and the trio returned to the Bridge. As they walked to the turbolift alcove, they spotted only one or two crewmembers doing the same as they were.

' _Yellow Alert… Yellow Alert… this is a Yellow Alert'_

"Computer, who ordered the Yellow Alert?" Pam asked as she pressed the call button to summon a turbolift car.

' _The alert status was ordered by the Bridge'_ it replied in its cool and slightly female sounding voice.

"I thought we were still hours away from Dytallix B" Tess said.

"The Captain must be redlining the engines if we're there already" Pam replied. "Only time I heard him do that was on our first voyage to Farpoint Station"

#

"Ensign McKnight, take the Helm. You two, take the rear stations" Picard ordered as they emerged onto the Bridge several seconds later. The senior crew had arrived to take up their normal places on the Bridge of the flagship. "Time to the Dytallix B system?" the Captain asked.

"Three minutes" Data said instantly.

"Helm, slow to impulse only when we get to the first planet"

"Aye" Pam blinked but complied with the order anyway.

"Lieutenant Worf, I'm picking up power signatures from two Federation starships up ahead" Tess said.

"Confirmed" Jae said. "I have sent our ID, but they have not replied on any channel"

"Captain, sensors detecting at least two Federation starships ahead" Word dutifully reported it to Picard. "Automatic ID requests have gone unanswered and they have made no reply to either voice or text communications"

"Make no further transmissions of any sort" Picard replied sharply.

"Captain, can I ask why?" Riker looked at his commanding officer with the same confusion as the others had.

"No, Commander, you may not. Ensign McKnight, put us into orbit in formation with the other two vessels. Data, scan the surface of the planet – any lifesigns?"

"Three, sir"

"Sir, detecting another ship in range… Heavy Cruiser class" Worf announced.

"Federation?"

"Yes"

"My orders apply to that ship too" Picard spoke without looking at his officers. "Are we close enough to read their hull markings?"

"One moment" Worf said gruffly. "Visual sensors identify them as the _Thomas Paine_ , _Renegade_ and the _Horatio_ – Captains Rixx, Scott and Keel respectively"

"Very good" Picard leant forward in his chair as if thinking of something important. "Data, relay the position of the lifesigns to the transporter room – have the transporter chief have a phaser ready from the locker"

"Captain, I request that you allow a security team to beam down there with you" Worf said.

"Denied"

"Captain, at least explain what is happening to us" Picard thought about it for a moment but turned down his First Officer's request.

"No" and, without another word, he left the Bridge.

"I wonder what is going on" said Riker as he watched the other three ships adjust their orbits slightly to allow the _Enterprise_ to join them. After a few minutes, he asked "Worf, are those ships armed?"

"Weapons are not armed, Commander, but we are being scanned"

"Scan them right back"

"Aye, Sir" and the Klingon bent to his task at the console.

" _Bridge, this is Engineering_ " LaForge called from deep inside the ship.

"Go ahead, Geordi"

" _Somebody attempted to open the plasma vents and route the gas to Deck 12_ "

"Any idea who?" asked Riker.

" _No – it was done using an engineering override. If I hadn't taken the safety systems and put them on manual for a test I'm running, the entire deck would have been breathing superheated plasma_ "

"Was it an internal source or external?" Riker asked.

" _I would say it was attempted from somebody onboard, Commander, for this sort of thing you would have to enter the codes in person_ "

"Unless the prefix codes were used" Riker mused. "Geordi, have your teams go over the records for any indication. I don't want anything to happen with all of this going on"

" _Aye… Engineering out_ "

"Ensign Jae, have any of the other ships with us attempted to use the prefix code?" Riker asked.

"One moment…" Jae called up communication records. "No, Sir, they've not done so. They have done nothing but scan us and keep in orbital formation"

"Well keep an eye on them" Riker ordered.

"Sir, signal; coming in from the Captain. He's beaming aboard shortly and we're to go to radio silence" Worf announced.

"Something must be wrong – status on the others?"

"They are also beaming up persons, but nothing else so far" he replied.

"Helm, be ready to get us out of here at maximum on any heading"

"Aye" Pam said. A moment later, Picard walked onto the Bridge with a face of puzzlement, curiosity and of wonder.

"Helm, using maps from the computer banks, plot a course from here directly to Earth at top speed. I want you to act upon that course in manual mode and do not enter it into the navigational computer. Worf, keep an ear open for any communications or distress calls – do not reply to any of them. Lock communications to my voice print only"

"Aye, Sir" Worf had never heard of such an order being given before.

"Helm, engage. Data, I have a task for you that is most ideal for a man of your talents. Number One, I will talk to you in a minute" and Data followed the Captain into the Ready Room.

"Something is wrong with the Captain" Troi said. She'd remained quiet throughout the entire time they had been diverted and in orbit. "Whatever happened on the planet has left him with a great sense of hurt, shock and terror"

"You'd never have noticed" Riker said.

"Sir, I'm picking up an unusual disturbance in Sector 63" Tess spoke up from the station next to Jae.

"Confirmed, Commander, it appears to be some sort of detonation – type unknown" Worf read what his displays where telling him.

"Captain, it could be one of the ships we encountered at Dytallix B" Pam suggested.

"Hmm…" Picard rubbed his chin in thought. "Maintain speed – adjust course to intercept"

"Adjusting course" Pam tapped the controls and the _Enterprise_ changed her heading.

"Mr Worf, are you picking up any distress signals or any sort?" Picard asked.

"No Sir… No signals or power signatures of any sort in the area of last known activity"

"Time until intercept?"

"Eleven minutes"

"Picard to Engineering – Geordi, I need more speed"

" _We're already running at ten percent over maximum output_ "

"Then run at fifteen percent, Commander" Picard snapped. "I want all the speed you can muster, Mister. Bridge out. Ensign McKnight, begin sensor scans of the area and plot all moving vessels – Federation, Allied or otherwise. Ensign Jae, work with Lieutenant Worf to scan for any debris"

"Yes, Sir"

"Aye, Sir"

"Begin by retuning the sensors to scan for fragments smaller than an average human" Worf left his tactical console for a few moments. "The ship, whatever it was, may have been almost completely destroyed"

"Aye. Sir…?"

"Yes?"

"Should I also scan for traces of explosives?" Jae asked quietly.

"Do it" Worf replied after a moment.

"Captain, we're now pushing the engines well past possible design limits" Pam said from the Helm – her voice holding a tremor like the one that came through the deck plates.

"Time to intercept?"

"Three minutes, but then we'll have to take the engines offline for an hour at the least"

"Very well… Maintain course and speed" Picard ordered.

"Sirs, I hold no other moving space vessels of any sort in this sector or system" Tess spoke up from where she had been working.

"Picking up debris dead ahead!" Jae shouted and pushed her information onto the main viewscreen and to Pam's message display.

"Drop out of warp… Slow to a stop"

"Leaving warp, Captain – engines set to stop"

"Captain, I'm picking up a lot of confusion from the crew, but also something from the debris" Troi darted to her feet and moved to stand in the middle of the command area.

"Is she normally like that?" Jae asked Tess.

"Most of the time… She's alright for an officer, but she creeps me out"

"Captain, I'm picking us something in the debris – an escape pod of some sort" Worf called out.

"Lifesign readings?" Picard rose from his chair.

"Two, but sensors are unable to determine species due to heavy amounts of radiation"

"Mr Worf, break radio silence and hail them on audio"

"Comm systems on the pod are destroyed"

"Can we transport them aboard?"

"Yes, Sir"

"Lock onto the entire pod and beam it to Cargo Bay 3 – beam the occupants to Sickbay. Councillor Troi, Worf… you will come with me – Number One the Bridge is yours" and the three left the Bridge. The rest of them looked at each other before Riker tapped his comm badge.

"Riker to Beta Shift – report to the Bridge. You three can forget about waiting – me and Data can hold the fort until they arrive" the first officer said. "Be aware that you're not to talk about this to anybody except the members of the senior staff"

"Yes, Sir"

"Aye"

"Aye, Sir" Jae finished the trio of replies before they left the Bridge and returned to their quarters.

#

"I'm scared" Pam said as she sat down with a glass of iced tea in her hand.

"If it was one of those ships we saw, what the hell could have happened for there to be only one escape pod?" Jae asked as she undid her uniform jacket and settled onto the couch.

"If there was a warp core breach, we'd still see signs of that" Tess said to her as the woman kicked her boots off and put on some soft slippers. "The radiation would be of a different sort"

"Is it possible for a ship to simply explode without detonating the warp core?" Pam asked Jae.

"Well you all took the same courses as I did" Jae replied, "But I did take some extra ones… It is slightly possible that the auto destruct was set off using the secondary system, but that method would have caused more radiation then what the scans showed"

"Could the torpedoes have detonated in the magazines?" asked Pam. "That would, after all, explain most of the radiation"

"But we'd still see huge chunks of debris" Jae argued.

"I ran the debris through the navigational sensor array and cross checked it with sensor data from the three ships we saw in orbit over that planet" Tess said, "In order for it to be correctly positioned for other ships to come and investigate later – as per standing orders"

"So?" Pam frowned.

"So we might be able to figure out it ourselves" Tess replied.

"Isn't this something to leave to the senior staff?" Jae asked. As she was one of the newer crewmembers on the _Enterprise_ , she didn't want to get attention drawn to herself for the wrong reasons.

"It can't do any harm, I guess" said Pam.

"Computer, access the sensor logs from thirteen hundred twenty two"

' _Done_ '

"Now, analyse the data and amount of debris… Is there enough to constitute a starship?"

' _Analysing… Analysing… There is enough to constitute a starship_ '

"Speculate as to what sort of starship it could be"

' _Unable to comply_ '

"Theorise as to what type of starship it may have been, running through all known starship designs, based on tonnage of debris and radiation patterns" Jae ordered as she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

' _Acknowledged… Scanning database now_ '

"We should have been more particular on what we said" mused Pam as she watched the display terminal running through different types of starships.

' _Scan complete. The amount of debris, radiation patterns, spectral analysis and tonnage of debris amounts to a Federation starship_ '

"Are you able to determine what class?" Tess asked as her friends leaned in to gaze at the screen with intent.

' _Ambassador Class_ '

"Computer, are you…" Jae swallowed heavily, "Are you able to determine which vessel?"

' _The debris appears to have come from the_ USS Horatio – _Captain Walker Keel commanding_ '

"Oh dear god…" Jae muttered. "Ensign Jae to Captain Picard"

" _Picard here. Ensign, I'm in the middle of important business_ "

"Yes, Sir, but I think you should come to my quarters"

" _Ensign_?"

"Captain, its about what we found earlier… We might have uncovered some answers"

" _I'm on my way – Picard, out_ " and, as soon as the comm channel closed, Jae got up and started rushing around their quarters and folding things up.

"Whats up, Tracee?" Tess asked.

"Captain is coming to our quarters… You want him to turn up to this pigsty?" she paused to raise a questioning eyebrow before the other two jumped up and started to make their quarters more presentable for their commanding officer.

#

"Captain, before we explain, we want you to be clear that we might be in violation of orders from yourself and Commander Riker about keeping this quiet" Tess said as the three Ensigns stood in a row at attention.

"If this is as serious as your call suggested, I will overlook this" Picard said. "Also, at ease before you strain yourself"

"Sir, we were talking amongst ourselves about the debris and we wondered about the ship that had been destroyed" Tess continued. "Once we got back to our quarters, we had the computer run tests on the debris regarding tonnage, radiation patterns and the like"

"And?" Picard folded his arms in an annoyed manner.

"Sir, We think it was the _Horatio_ "

" _What_?" Picard whispered.

"Sir, the computer reported the _Horatio_ was the only ship of the three we encountered at Dytallix B that matched an _Ambassador_ class starship's specifications… Spectral analysis of its hull indicated the vessel in question" Jae took over.

"Mon Dieu…" Picard dropped his arms and shook his head in disbelief.

' _Cause of starship destruction identified_ ' the computer broke in.

"Identify the cause" Pam ordered.

' _Engine implosion caused by a trilithium device on the starboard power relays_ '

"Can you identify who may have placed the device there?"

' _No_ '

"Must have been a member of the crew. Walker said there was trouble with his crew" Picard said. "Computer, this is the Captain… The moment warp drive is restored, set a course to Starfleet Command and engage at maximum velocity. Ensigns, what you did violated orders, but in doing so you may have uncovered vital information. You are confined to quarters until your next duty shift" and he turned and left without another word.

"I wonder what Captain Keel told Captain Picard" Jae said as they relaxed out of their "at ease" stance and sat down. The punishment that Picard had given of them of confinement to quarters until their next shift was not that much of a punishment at all.

"I'd guess something that involves a conspiracy if his attitude was anything to go by" Pam said. "Perhaps we might be classed as a rogue ship and the rest of Starfleet sent after us" she added with a small grin.

"After this" Tess said, gesturing at the screen which still showed the results of the sensor scans and all the testing the computer had done, "I wouldn't discount it. The Captain sure did seem to be in a hurry to return to Earth"

"Maybe he wants to talk to Command in person about it" Jae said.

"Unless Command is part of the issue" Tess replied darkly.

#

"Have you been able to identify the woman?" asked Picard as he returned to Sickbay.

"Yes…" Doctor Crusher replied. "This is Commander Charlynn Schmiedt. She was on assignment to Starfleet Engineering after the _Horatio_ had undergone repairs to their warp drive"

"Records show she was assigned to the ship for a single voyage to make sure all systems responded well" Worf added from his position near the large lifesign monitor.

"Has she awoken at all?" asked Picard.

"Not yet, but there is no reason for her not to wake up in time" Crusher said as she folded the medical tricorder together.

"Can you wake her?"

"For a few minutes, perhaps, but certainly not for anything too much longer – her head took a beating" and Crusher applied a hypospray to her neck and pressed the trigger gently.

"Mmm…" the brown haired woman moaned and shifted before her eyes opened. "Where… Where am I?" she asked.

"You're aboard the _Enterprise_ " Picard answered. "I am Captain Picard – what can you tell us about the loss of the _Horatio_?" he asked gently.

"Captain Keel suspected that most of his senior officers had been controlled by some kind of mind control technique, and he suspected that a good number of Starfleet's command staff were going the same way" Schmiedt said. "He told me because I wasn't part of the ship's company. At the time the ship exploded, I was working with one of my team to modify the intermix settings on the port nacelle. I heard the explosion, grabbed my team member and pushed him into the escape pod in the compartment we were working in. The last thing I really know was quickly glancing at a screen which showed an implosion of the warp drive – something that should have been impossible without some sort of explosive"

"Did Keel say what he thought the mind control was?" asked Picard. "Telepathic? Brainwashing? Parasitic?"

"No, Sir… Just that it was affecting most of his command staff"

"Could it have spread to the other two ships we met with?"

"Perhaps… maybe… I don't know, Sir. What I do know is that there was several hundred officers and crew that died without just cause – I want whoever did this to pay" and, with that, she closed her eyes and went back to sleep.

"And pay they will" Picard muttered. "Worf, I want you to post an armed guard on all the doors to Sickbay – and one in here for good measure"

"Jean-Luc…"

"Sorry, Beverley, but there could be agents of a conspiracy onboard my ship that may try to take out the Commander here" Picard stared at his Chief Medical Officer with a determined look on his worn out face. "And that is something that will not happen on my ship"

"Aye, Sir" Crusher said without sounding very happy about it at all.

"Worf, have you been able to access the logs from the escape pod?" Picard looked at the Klingon.

"Commanders Data and LaForge are doing that now" he rumbled gently, "But it may take them some time to go through it all" he added.

"Very well… Return to the Bridge when the guard has been posted and inform Commander Riker of what has happened here. Have him send a subspace communication to Starfleet Command on the scrambled emergency channel and inform them of what has happened"

"That would give away our position to any enemies that may be listening" Worf replied. "We would not be able to rest"

"Worf, we're talking about a threat to the Federation – I don't think that any of us could rest easy in our beds or sit idly in space with that over our heads. Once the message is sent, have the Helm resume course to Earth at full impulse until the computer engages warp drive. And… And run battle drills"

"You expect to fight?" Crusher asked her friend and Captain.

"Beverley… I don't know _what_ to expect. Walker would not have broken regulations like this without cause. Rixx is almost like a Vulcan in his thinking and logic…"

"What about Captain Scott?" asked Worf.

"I don't know much about her" Picard admitted, "Except she is a talented officer and Walker and Rixx would not have brought her in on this without trusting her implic… Mon Deiu! Bridge, this is the Captain"

" _Riker here_ "

"Are the _Renegade_ and _Thomas_ _Paine_ within sensor range still?"

" _No, but we're picking up faint signs of debris and warp core detonation in the general vicinity of the_ Thomas Paine _'s last known course heading_ " Riker said.

"Break radio silence, contact the _Renegade_ and find out if Captain Scott is in any trouble" Picard ordered.

" _Captain, they are receiving the hail but are not replying_ "

"Very well. Mr Worf is on his way soon with some hand carried orders that need to be carried out off the record" Picard said and tapped his badge to close the channel.

#

"Computer, play musical selection Jae Alpha Three" Jae ordered and gave a long and suffering sigh as the soft music played through the speakers in her room. The _Enterprise_ was in orbit over the headquarters of the Federation and, if rumour was correct, now had a high level Admiral onboard. Newsboards showed that the loss of the _Horatio_ had been put down to an engine implosion due to the extreme negligence of her Captain – something that most of the _Enterprise_ 's officers and crew completely disagreed with on the basis only they were supposed to know of how the incident happened.

"Mozart?" Pam asked as she stuck her head around the doorframe.

"Williamson" Jae said without opening her eyes.

"Came to see if you were alright"

"Dunno… Seeing all that debris and thinking about all those deaths – brought back memories of _Eagle_ "

"Oh" Pam replied. "I can imagine it would… Me and Tess thought about visiting Ten-Forward with a few of the others – wanna come?"

"I'd rather stay here"

"It doesn't do well to brood on things" Pam said to her knowingly.

"I'm not brooding… I just don't want to be sent to Troi. She might be a good officer, I don't know, but she just freaks me out completely in a professional manner" and her friend could understand that a lot.

"We'll be setting off in a few minutes" she murmured and slipped quietly away. Jae lay in her quarters for a while, listening to the soothing music, when a call came through from Riker – sounding disturbed and confused.

" _Riker to Security. Guest quarters seventeen. Emergency_ " and Jae was awake, alert and on her feet within a second. Guest quarters seventeen was only deck above her own and it would take the on duty security team a few minutes to get there. Grabbing her comm badge, she raced out into the corridor and to the turbolift to go one deck higher.

#

"It's good thing you're here. He slipped and hit his head" an elderly human in the uniform of an Admiral stood over the motionless form of Commander Riker.

"This is Ensign Jae in guest quarters seventeen" she spoke tapping her comm badge, "We have a medical emergency"

" _On our way_ " came Crusher's voice

"Your Doctor Crusher is most capable. I'm sure he'll be all right. Now if you'll excuse me, my time here is most limited" the Admiral moved for the door.

"Admiral. Don't you think we should wait until the Doctor gets here?" Jae asked. Instead of speaking, the Admiral rushed her and threw the startled woman against the wall. Jae shook her head in surprise as the Admiral came towards her with a murderous look in his eyes. She pushed herself off and headbutted him in the stomach – expecting him to crumple to the floor, but there was a merely a grunt and a slight stagger backwards. "Jae to Security – armed team to guest quarters 17" she commanded quickly. Cupping her hands together, the Ensign smashed them into the side of the Admiral's head hoping, in the back of her mind, that this was not some sort of emergency drill! The impact of the improvised impact seemed to have a small effect as the Admiral rubbed his head slightly before running forwards towards Jae and smashing the pair of them straight through the doors which came off their runners and sending them into the corridor beyond.

"Woah…" a crewman came to an abrupt halt as the tangle of limbs landed in front of him. The Admiral recovered quickly and grabbed Jae by her throat – lifting her off her feet and started to slowly squeeze the life out of her. With her last reserve of energy, Jae brought her knee into the crotch of her opponent which made him howl in pain and drop her – falling to the floor in a heap and gasping for air. After a few deep breaths, both fighters tried to take out the other – the Admiral swinging a fist in an upper cut. It would have knocked the battered Ensign out if she had not grabbed a Coil Scanner out of the hands of the startled crewman and swung it, with all of her might and remaining strength, at the side of the Admiral's head. There was a sickening crunch before the man dropped to the deck with a bruise already forming and blood oozing from the point of impact. A few crewmembers rushed forward to turn the Admiral over onto his back and stand guard until the security team arrived a minute later with Worf, Data and Doctor Crusher and her medical team following close behind.

"Report!" Worf said. He wasn't being unkind, but merely getting as much detail as was possible whilst it was fresh in her mind.

"I heard Commander Riker's call for help, though I don't know why I did so… I came up here from my quarters below this deck and went in to find the Commander lying on the floor motionless. The Admiral said he had slipped, but I questioned why he had called for security and not a medical team. When the Admiral tried to leave, something seemed wrong so I stopped him – that's when he attacked me. For an old man, he seemed completely freakish in his strength" Jae said as she felt one of the medical team treat her wounds.

"Was it nessesary to hit the Admiral with a heavy object?" Data asked calmly.

"Yes, Sir… You see, the Admiral just wouldn't stop hitting me and tried to kill me – you can ask anybody that saw us after we crashed through the doors"

"Doctor, is the Admiral seriously injured?" the android asked as he turned to watched Crusher scanning the prone man and injecting him with something.

"About from a nasty wound to the head, which is completely understandable in the circumstances, the only major injury are badly bruised testes" Crusher looked back to see Worf give an almost human like wince. "There is also a massive increase in strength which I wou–" she broke off as she looked down at her tricorder readings. Pushing the Admiral's head to one side, the officers all saw a small spike like protrusion out of the neck on the right – wiggling as they stared at it.

"Doctor, I suggest that you take the Admiral to Sickbay under heavy guard. Please try to find out what the intrusion is and if it can be removed safely" Data said. "Mr Worf, please see that a suitable commendation is written up and placed into the service record of Ensign Jae ready for when the Captain can sign off on it upon his return to the _Enterprise_. I must contact the Captain to inform him of what is going on. Data to Picard. Captain, this is Commander Data… Please respond" but there was no reply. "Data to the Bridge"

" _Bridge – Ensign Allenby here_ "

"Ensign, scan Starfleet Command and attempt to locate the Captain"

" _He's in the main office and conference block along with some other people. The computer identifies them as human, but its saying some odd things about them_ " Tess said after a moment.

"More of them like Quinn?" asked Crusher softly.

"Perhaps. Ensign, raise the Captain"

" _I can't, Sir… There is some kind of issue with the communications system for ship to shore_ "

"Understood. Please send Data, out. Ensign" he said, turning to regard Jae who was rubbing her throat and wincing at the tenderness she felt, "Are you fit for duty?"

"Aye, Sir" Jae replied.

"Mr Worf, please give the Ensign a phaser. We will beam down to Starfleet Headquarters"

"Armed?" Worf raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"The Captain may be held as a hostage, there may be a communications jamming test or a number of other reasons. As we can not establish communications with the Captain, we must assume the worst has happened and act accordingly. Come along, Ensign"

"I will join you" Worf rumbled. "If my Captain is being held as a hostage, I would like to make them pay"

"Very well" Data said, "But my order is for phasers to be set to stun only" and they walked away.

"Are you truly well enough to beam down?" Worf asked quietly to Jae as they walked.

"I would have said otherwise, Sir" Jae said to him. "I will, of course, go to Sickbay for a check-up when we get back"

"Very well, Ensign, but tell me at once if you become unwell – I do not want to be worried about you"

"Just worry about the ones holding the Captain" Jae said as the trio entered the transporter and took positions on the pad.

"There must be Klingon blood in you somewhere" Worf grinned – showing his teeth off as he did so.

"Coming from Commander Worf, that is indeed high praise, Ensign. Transporter Chief, do you have the coordinates from the Bridge?" Data asked.

"Yes, Sir"

"Then energise" and, as the tingle of the transporter beams waved over the three, Jae hoped they would not be too late in rescuing the Captain.


End file.
